The Lure of Carnivorous Plants

　　ABOUT 200 million years ago, certain plants with strange leaves showed up on what became the eastern half of North America. Because they grew in marshy, infertile soil, they had to devise other ways to find nutrients. And so they began to catch and eat bugs.

Flash-forward to today, and these carnivorous plants are now luring more than insects; they’re attracting adventurous gardeners.
“Sales have increased every year since 2007,” said Jason Austin, the manager of RareFind Nursery in Jackson, N.J., and a man so passionate about carnivorous plants that he has a tattoo of one on his arm. Referring to a program he runs for customers interested in the plants, he added: “Our first workshop was in summer 2008. We did one that year. We now do 10 or so.”

Of course, people have long been drawn to these weird but lovable plants, enthralled by visions of man-eaters out of “Little Shop of Horrors.” There’s the Venus’ flytrap, for instance, with its hinged leaves like tiny jaws that snap shut around its prey; the sundew, which attracts insects with beads of jewellike sticky gel on its leaves; and the bladderwort, which uses vacuum action to suck bugs into its underwater traps. These and other carnivorous plants (or “insectivorous,” as Darwin wrote in his 1875 book on them) have digestive enzymes that liquefy the captured prey so that the nutrients can be absorbed.
But the basic requirements of these somewhat fussy plants have often been neglected by buyers. The finicky flytraps that were sold as novelties in gift shops rarely survived for very long, and Robert Hoffman, the owner of Fairweather Gardens nursery in Greenwich, N.J., remembers one seller of terrariums who advertised the baby carnivorous plants within them as “lasting longer than cut flowers.” (The plants have a long history of being misunderstood. Until 1815, botanists thought the hollow leaves were not traps for insects, but refuges.)The new interest stands that old attitude on its head. Nurseries are now emphasizing the plants’ needs, teaching gardeners proper techniques for their care and developing hybrids that increase the plants’ vigor and range of color and form. Concern about the conservation of native flora may be propelling this change, or maybe gardeners are just rising to a new horticultural challenge, but either way, these specimens are beginning to be recognized as the long-lived perennials they are rather than being seen as transient novelties.
The change may well help sales. Like Mr. Austin, Mr. Hoffman has enjoyed a recent upsurge in buyers. “In 2010, we sold one or two of some of the varieties,” he said. “In 2011, we sold out — mostly to men and boys.”
“What we discovered,” Mr. Austin said, “is that showing people how to succeed with these plants and increasing their knowledge base has helped tremendously.”
In their new efforts, some nurseries are focusing on one particular carnivorous genera: Sarracenia, or the pitcher plants. They are among the easiest of carnivorous plants to grow.
Sarracenia are attractive, funnel-shaped, often prettily veined plants with leaves and flowers in a wide spectrum of colors. Most have hoods above their flaring tubular leaves to keep rainwater out, and a spot of nectar at the base of the hoods to lure insects. The bugs land, slip on the slick surface and fall into the tubes, which have downward-facing hairs to thwart any escape attempts.
Pitcher plants form clumps, with leaves emerging from a central rosette in spring or summer; they range from 6 to 36 inches tall. Most bloom in spring, and sometimes again in late summer. The plants also feature nodding flower stems with umbrella-shaped blossoms and dangling petals. The petals fall after pollination, but the plants’ fascinating ornamental fruits and the seeds within them persist right up until autumn.

Colourful Pansies for your bedding plant displays this winter

　　With autumn coming to an end and with winter looming over your garden don’t lose your summer and autumn colour to the cold weather, look instead towards our wide collection of pansies to fill your garden with their colourful faces all winter!

These surprisingly hardy plants are great for filling gaps in your borders, trailing in hanging baskets or brightening up your patio. Our variety of Pansies can be purchased as either plug plants, super and jumbo ready plants or seeds. Our Pansies were a huge success with customers in July and August proving Pansy Can Can to be especially popular.
Feature writer for Jersey Plants Direct Christine Walkden recognizes the Pansies’ popularity by saying- “the Pansies are great value for money and the mix of colours’ in the Can Can is just great.”
Gardening expert Denis Shaw identifies our Pansy Grande Fragrance as being both brilliantly strong in colour and scent by advising - “The large colourful flowers will cheer up any border and you won’t need to get on your hands and knees to enjoy their scent as they are equally attractive in window boxes as in low borders.”

Our Pansy autumn bedding plants are nurtured until they are ready to be dispatched up until the end of October. On arrival they are ready to be grown on or planted straight out as you choose. At Jersey Plants Direct we aim to make planting as easy as possible, here are a few tips to enable your Pansies to withstand those winter months-
1.Pansies are hardy plants but you can help them along by making sure they are planted in an area where they will gain full sun or partial shade allowing them to be as healthy as possible during winter.
2.Plant Pansies in a rich, moist soil with good drainage. To help your pansies flourish and increase drainage make sure your soil is gritty and rich in organic compost.
3.Here at Jersey Plants Direct, we know that Pansies like most bedding plants, look better closer together, but please remember spacing your Pansies will in turn achieve healthy plants through good air circulation.
4.As it says above, Pansies thrive in moist soil- but be careful not to over-water your Pansies which will cause dramatic and even deadly results as the winter weather rolls in. Over-watering in winter doesn’t allow plants time to dry throughout the day and can cause root rot.
Hanging baskets are an attractive alternative way to present your Pansies; we recommend our Pansy Cascadia with trailing habits that will create a flowing spectrum of colours in your garden. Along with hanging baskets, Pansies are perfect for bringing your patio and window ledges to life and can easily be planted in patio containers and window boxes.
Seeds can be purchased in our Pansy Can Can, Pansy Grande Fragrance and Pansy Galore varieties. But you had better be quick, seeds need to be sown before the end of the month. All our seeds are dispatched within 10 days of receipt order to help you plant them as quickly as possible this autumn. Planting seeds proves a little more challenging than planting our garden ready plants, but all seed orders come with simple instructions for planting perfect Pansies.
Enjoy your Autumn garden and make the most of these beautifully cheerful bedding plants.

Genus Dianthus alongside the Indian Pink and Annual Carnation

Along with its commercial uses, Black Walnut makes a wonderful shade tree. Before planting Black Walnut in a yard or garden, you should be aware that these trees produce an allelopathic chemical called juglone. Juglone will inhibit the growth of some species of plants and trees within a 50- to 60-foot radius, so position carefully when planting a Black Walnut tree.

The Sweet William or Dianthus Barbatus belongs to the genus Dianthus alongside the Indian Pink and Annual Carnation. According to many keen gardeners the Dianthus and its members have a place in every garden across the UK and can be used in rockeries, beds and window boxes such is the versatility of this genus. With a long and varied history including accreditation by the Ancient Greeks, the many varieties of Dianthus would take an age to discuss so instead we will look at one of the most popular and well loved varieties, Dianthus Barbatus or Sweet William. Typical of a Dianthus species the Sweet William has grass like leaves and is a reasonably hardy garden plant that prefers a well drained soil and a sunny position.

The highly popular garden plant has been cultivated numerous times over the years and there are now many hybrids and cultivars available differing in colour and pattern. One of the best ways to see Sweet William in all its glory is to plant mixed seeds together. Once the seeds germinate and the plant flowers you will be left with a colourful array of pink, white, purple and mauve. The Sweet William Monarch Mixed Seeds available from Plant Me Now for example are a fragrant ‘cottage garden’ favourite and are a great way to add some early summer colour to your garden beds and borders. Available now for sowing in April/June you can expect your garden to be in full colour between May and July next year.

Sweet William is biennial

The Sweet William or Dianthus Barbatus belongs to the genus Dianthus alongside the Indian Pink and Annual Carnation. According to many keen gardeners the Dianthus and its members have a place in every garden across the UK and can be used in rockeries, beds and window boxes such is the versatility of this genus.

With a long and varied history including accreditation by the Ancient Greeks, the many varieties of Dianthus would take an age to discuss so instead we will look at one of the most popular and well loved varieties, Dianthus Barbatus or Sweet William. Typical of a Dianthus species the Sweet William has grass like leaves and is a reasonably hardy garden plant that prefers a well drained soil and a sunny position.

Recognisable for its dense and flattened shaped flowers the Sweet William is available in most garden centres where a choice of single colour or ‘eyed’ varieties are available. Typical flowering period is around June and July with the one major drawback for most gardeners being that the Sweet William is biennial. This means that you will have to plant it one year but wait until the following season for it to flower but for many it is also worth the wait.
Traditionally native to the mountains of Southern Europe, the Dianthus Barbatus can also be found in north-eastern China, Korea and Russia. The flowers are produced in a dense cluster at the top of each stem and are widely recognisable. Sweet William traditionally has been used in landscaping and in cut flower displays as its height makes it perfect for flower arranging.

The walnut is the fruit of the Black Walnut tree. Walnuts are harvested in autumn, and must be removed from a shell and a very strong husk. The husk secretes a strong-smelling juice that creates very difficult stains, so be sure to wear gloves when harvesting from a Black Walnut tree. Black Walnut has been prized for centuries as a fine furniture hardwood. It is also commonly used in gunstocks. Black Walnut is enjoyed by craftsmen because it is strong but easily worked.